Rattus has loudly & often boasted about his government’s commitment to “the rule of law”.

Today we were treated to yet another demonstration of just how much of a contemptible & filthy lie this foul boast really is.

Rattus & his colleagues are totally corrupt. Moreover, their self-righteous determination to place themselves above & beyond the reach of our judicial system, renders their corruption profound.

Ministers voice support for Howard amid latest poll

Federal Cabinet ministers say another bad opinion poll for the Coalition has no bearing on their support for John Howard as leader.

Federal Cabinet meets in Canberra today and arriving at the airport, ministers were mostly asked about another poll pointing to a Labor government.

"Polls go up, polls go down. We're focused on running a good economy," Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey said.

Russia sends warning to the West

By Jonathan Marcus

BBC diplomatic correspondent

‘Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives at the hotel where the 119th International Olympic Committee Session on 4 July 2007.

President Putin wants Russia to be treated as an equal by the US President.

‘What does a war for oil look like?

American troops going into battle with tanks waving "Exxon Mobil" and "Chevron" flags right behind? Are the flags then planted squarely in the ground and the oil beneath officially declared war bounty? Well, some members of the Bush administration and U.S. oil companies may have favoured such an approach. But the device ultimately chosen to win this war for oil is only slightly more subtle: a law, to be passed by the Iraqis themselves, which would turn Iraq's oil over to foreign oil companies.

‘If challenged today for a definition of terror, I doubt anyone could produce a sound one that limits the meaning to the acts of those constantly in our headlines. Rather those acts are now reduced to special cases of something a great deal larger.

US President George W Bush found himself almost wistful, conjuring a rocking-chair moment at his Texas ranch when he will reconcile his unpopularity with the knowledge that he honoured his own personal principles about the war.

In a notable departure from his typical approach, during a White House news conference beamed out to the world, the president acknowledged the personal toll of sticking with his beliefs when they were so profoundly in opposition to those of the American people.

from the Centre for American Progress …..

Howard apologises for forgetting candidate's name

Prime Minister John Howard has apologised to a federal Liberal candidate for forgetting her name.

Vanessa Goodwin is looking to win the southern Tasmanian seat of Franklin from Labor.

Speaking on ABC Radio this morning, Mr Howard said Ms Goodwin has his support but he could not recall her name.

Ms Goodwin says she is not disappointed.

from Crikey …..

Global warming, big oil and silicone breasts: the links

Ben Oquist, political consultant and former Greens staffer, writes:

‘The ABC's screening and treatment of The Great Global Warming Swindle documentary would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.

’Nowhere in the world, has one print media played such a dominant role in people’s lives than the Murdoch Press in Australia. Supported by the Government’s policies of serving big business and hunger for power, Australia’s print media has become the most monopolistic in the ‘Western World’. Print media monopoly constitutes great danger to free thought and democracy, a frightening reminder of fascist dictatorships in Europe.

‘If the global policing, base-building, corporate capitalists cry that if we leave now, even more innocent people will die, just remember that "more" is an awful big number. Americans have already killed a million Iraqis and Afghanis, and displaced nearly three million. And this doesn’t count the 500,000 dead Iraqi children our government justified as "worth" a decade of economic sanctions.

Farmers, grocers back Labor price inquiry call

Federal Government ministers are laughing off the plans to investigate grocery prices.

Farmers and independent grocers are calling on the Federal Government to take up Labor's plans for an inquiry into grocery pricing.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd says if Labor wins government, he would empower the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to find out whether supermarkets are price gouging.

‘Pope Benedict XVI reasserted the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation.

The statement brought swift criticism from Protestant leaders. "It makes us question whether we are indeed praying together for Christian unity," said the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, a fellowship of 75 million Protestants in more than 100 countries.

Flaw in Coalition defences exposed

Gerard Henderson (The Sydney Morning Herald - Opinions 10/07/07)

July 10, 2007

It's not often that an Australian defence minister makes it on to the international news bulletins. But Brendan Nelson managed to do so last week - and all for the wrong reasons - by appearing to link Australia's Iraq commitment to oil.